Locker latch



- Aqg. 26, 1930.

Filed Oct 29. 1928 iltl rlllI/l/l/l/If/ il I IZIIIIIIIII? Patented Aug. 26, 1930 g UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y EVERETT D. KASER, 0F AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DURABILT STEEL LOCKE 60., OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS LOCKER LATCH 1 Application filed October 29, 1928. Serial No. 315,683.

This invention relates to locking mechanisms for doors of lockers, cabinets and'the like; a 1

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved mechanism for secur-V ing adoor latch in aretracted position-while the door is open; to provide improved means, operative uponthe closing of the door, for retracting said mechanism to release the latch; to provide improved mechanism and means of this kind which are arranged so as not to interfere with the normal operation of the door; and to provide anv improved form of bufl'er arranged to deaden the noise incident to, the operation of the latch bar.

An illustrative embodiment of this. invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein y Figure l is a fragmentary horizontal section of'a locker having a locking mechanism to which this invention is applied. r

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, and showing the latch bar in its unlocked or retracted position, two of the keepers being shown in dottedoutline.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view,

similar to Fig. '2, but showing the detent re- 2 tracted by a keeper to permit the latch bar to drop into locking engagement with the,

keeper. I

7 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 butshowing the latch bar in its position.

Fig. 5 is a'fragmentary vertical section taken on the line -55 of Fig. 2. a

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the detent which holds the latch bar in its retracted position while the door isopen. I I o V I Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5 and showing the-improved buffer for deadening the noise of the latch bar. v I

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective of the bufier. V V

A common type of cabinet and locker now in use includes a frame having a hinged door provided with a latch bar, which is adapted for locking engagement with one or more keepers on the frame. The keepers heretofore in use 1n such locking mechanisms were drop by gravity looking or operative} formed to provide cams arranged so that, upon closing'the door, the latch bar would be cammed into a position from which itcould into locking engagement with the keeper. j;

Such locking constructions, heretofore in use have been noisy, due mainly to the striking of the latch bar against the cam faces of the keepers upon the closing of the door.

The foregoing objection is cured by a locking mechanism to which this invention is applied, wherein improved mechanism is provided for securing the latch bar in aretracted position until the door is closed, whereupon the latch bar interlocks with the keepers without being cammed into position.

Inthe construction herein shown, the-locker includes a body or frame 1 having a hinged door 2; v I I v The body 1 includes walls 3, preferably of sheet metal, which are secured to vertical angle bars 4 and-5 at the corners of the locker,

. ed for'interlocking engagementwith a vertically movable latch bar 7, carried by the door Each of the keepers 6 comprises a supportingarm-8 having a forwardly extending catch 9 providedwith an inclined approach 10 and a locking depression 11. One'of the keepers 6 has a shoulder 12 forthe purpose hereinafter set forth.

Secured to the angle bar 5 are hinges 13, which supportlthe door 2. o I

I The hinged door is also made of sheet metal, which is bent along its side edges'to form tubular reinforcements 14: and 15, arranged on the inside of the door, and forming housings for the latch bar 7 and part of the hinges 13 respectively, Formed in the rear Wall of the housing 14, are slots 16, through which the keepers 6 project for engagement with the latch bar 7 when the door is closed.

The latch bar 7 is vertically jshiftable within the housing 14 and, in the form shown,- it comprises a channel barhaving a loo ers 6 to permit the latter to interlock with the latch bar when the bar occupies the position shown in Fig. 4.

Carried by the latch bar 7 is improved mechanism which holds the latch in its unlocked position while the door is open and whiehis adapted to be retracted, upon closing of the door, to release the latch bar so as to permit the latter to drop into locking engagement with the keepers.

In the form shown, this improved mechanism includes a detent 20, which is located within the channel bar 7. The detent preferably comprises a sheet metal stamping having a shank 21 which is notched at one end, as shown at 22, for engagement with straps 23 which are struck out fromthe web 17 of the latch bar.

Formed at the lower extremity of the detent 20 is a shoulder 24; adapted to engage a shoulder 25, on the rear wall of the housing 14 at the lower end of one of the slots 16, for securing the latch bar in its retracted position. The shoulder 2 is normally urged outwardly into'its effective position by the resilience of the shank 21.

Formed in-the lower part of the detent 20, is an-opening 26 for receiving the nose of one of the keepers 6. Located between the opening 26 and the shoulder 2a, is a bearing face or shoulder 27, against which the shoulder 12 of one of the keepers strikes upon closing of the door, whereby the detent is retractedfor releasing the latch bar.

The latch bar 7 is manually raised out of engagement with the keepers 6 by means of a handle 28 located on the outside of the door. The handle 28 is provided with fingers 29 and 30 projecting inwardly through slots 31 and 32, respectively, formed in the door 2. The fingers 29 and 30 are secured to the latch bar by bolts 33 or other suitable fastening means.

Openings 34 and 35 formed on the inner wall of the housing 14: permit access to the bolts 33.

The latch bar 7 may be locked in its effective position for locking the door by means of a padlock, not shown. For this purpose, the handle 28 has an aperture 36 for receiving the shackle of the padlock which also extends through apertures 37 formed in a.

buffer member 38 fixed on the door 2.

In the construction illustrated, the improved buffer member 38 is substantially U-shaped and comprises a pair of arms 39 and 40 located on the outside of the door and loosely embracing the lower end of the handle 28.

The rear edges of the arms 39 and 10 extend through the slot 32, and the arm 39 is provided with a lug 11, which is secured to the door 2 by a rivet 12 or other suitable fas tening means. Formed in the arm a0, is a notch 43 adapted to receive a portion of the door at the lower end of the slot 32.

Seated in the base of the buffer is a resilient pad 44:, adapted to engage the lower end of the handle 28 to deaden the noise when the latch bar 7 drops to locking position. Mounted on the upper end-of the arm 10, is a pad 45 adapted to engage the arm 30 to deaden. the noise when the latch bar is raised to its open position.

In operation, to open the door, the latch bar 7 raised by means of the handle 28 so as to lift it out of the recesses 11 of the keep ers. \Vhen the latch bar is raised out of engagement with the keepers, the slots 16 and 19 are in register and the detent 20 then springs forwardly to project the shoulder 24: through the slot 16 with the shoulder 25. The shoulders 24 and 25 secure the latch bar in its retracted posi tion, as shown in Fig. 2, while the door is open.

Vhen the door is again closed, the keepers 6 project through the slots 16 and 19 and the shoulder 27 strikes the shoulder 12, whereby the detent is retracted from the slot 16 to permit the latch bar to drop into the keeper recesses 11.

Alhough but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of'this inventionas defined by the following claims.

I claim v 1. A device of the class described comprising a' frame member having an opening therein, a hinged door member movable into position to close said opening, a keeper on one of said members, a latehbar movably mounted on the other of said members and adapted to engage said keeper for locking the door, said latch'bar being slidable vertically relative to said other member, mechanism mounted on said latch bar and including resilient means for normally urging said mechanism into position for securing said bar in unlocked position during the moveand into engagementment of said-door from closed to open position, and means on said one member adapted to coact with said mechanism when said door is closed for releasing said latch bar.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame member having an opening therein, a door member movable into position to close said opening, a keeper on one of said members, a latch bar movably mounted on the other of said members and adapted to engage said keeper for locking the door, said other member having an aperture for receiving saidkeeper when said door is closed, a shoulder on said other member adjacent said aperture, mechanism mounted on said latch bar and adapted to project into said movably mounted on said door and adapted to engage said keeper for locking said door, said door having an aperture'for receiving said keeper, a shoulder on said door adjacent said aperture, a detent mounted on said latch bar and adapted to project into said aperture for engagement with said shoulder to secure said bar in unlocked position when said door is open, and means on said keeper adapted to retract said detent from said aperture when said door is closed for releasing saidlat-ch bar.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame having an opening therein, a door movable into position to close said tively opposite sides of the door, said handle and clip having apertures adapted to register for receiving a locking bolt.

Signed at Aurora this 26th day of October, 1928.

EVERETT D, KASER.

opening, a keeper on said frame, a latch bar I I movably mounted'on said door and adapted to engage said keeper for locking said door, a shoulder on said door, a detent mounted on said latch bar and adapted to engage said shoulder for securing said bar in unlocked position when said door is open, said door and latch bar having apertures adapted to register for receiving said keeper, and means on said keeper adapted to release said detent from said shoulder when said door is closed.

5. A device of the class described com-i prising a frame having an opening therein, a door movable into posltion to close said opening, a keeper on said frame, a latch bar movably mounted on said door and adapted to engage said keeper for locking said door, said door having an aperture for receiving said keeper, a shoulder on saiddoor adjacent said aperture, a detent mounted on said latch bar and adapted to project into said aperture for engagement with said shoulder to secure said bar in unlocked position when said door is open, said latch bar and detent 1;. having apertures adapted. to register with the aperture in said door for receiving'said keeper, and means on said keeper adapted to disengage said detent from said shoulder when said door is closed. I

'6. A device of the class described comprising a hinged door, a latch barlocated onthe inside of said door, a handle located on the outside of said door, an arm on said handle extending through said door and connected '3 to said bar, a clip fixed on'said door'and slida'bly'engaging said handle, anda pair of buffers mounted on said clip in position-to engage respectively opposite edges of said arm for limiting the movement of said latch said buffers being located on respec- 

